non-diet approaches

Restrictive dieting often backfires. Maybe it's better to take a long-term, sustainable, holistic approach to healthy weight management.

This is a guest post from Cari Corbet-Owen

May 6th may not be as big as May 11th - Mother's Day - but I predict it's a day that will grow in importance. May 6th is International No Diet Day. It's history? It was started 16 years ago in the dining room of Mary Evans, the British director for Diet Breakers.

While it might have had very modest beginnings - it's a day that is growing in significance and is now celebrated in countries in the Southern Hemisphere like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. And in the Northern Hemisphere in England, Norway, Russia, Canada and of course the USA. Supporters wear a light blue ribbon.

In a destination-focused world we often ignore the importance of the journey. In doing so, we tend to skip over the crucial foundational behavioral aspects that can impede the chances of long-term success. We seek out the fastest possible route to achieve whatever goal it is we have in mind (let's go with weight loss as an example).

Sometimes we need to take a step back and look at the underpinnings that will support the outcome goals. So here are 11 behavioral goals that can help translate into physical goals and shape a lifetime of success. I encourage you to modify them to fit your needs.

New research shows that those who have the hardest time keeping off the weight are those who eat for internal emotional reasons.

Just this morning I was thinking of the health consequences of severe dieting episodes.

In the quest to follow strict low-fat diets and other extreme fads - many people now find themselves with health issues that may well have resulted from malnutrition. They are less fit, heavily medicated, and most likely are the same weight (or more) than when they started the vicious cycle of dieting.

Here's the good news: there is proof that an overall health and exercise program (without dieting) can have many positive results.

There is a mountain of information available telling you how to lose weight. However there is precious little guidance telling you how to maintain your body weight.

So what are some habits that keep people lean? We all know someone who eats like a horse, but resembles a beanpole - however this is the exception rather than the rule. Most people who maintain their weight do so because they have implemented some positive habits.